Introducing the range filter for graphs

We’ve been tailoring interfaces and processes to make graph exploring experience as intuitive as possible on the Graph Commons platform. Today, we are excited to introduce the new range filter for exploring graphs.

Filters help you get a closer view of your graph to see your data in new and diverse perspectives. With the range filter, you can slice and dice a graph using numeric values for the nodes such as Degree Centrality as well as custom properties such as age, cost, year etc. You visually control the range by simply moving the handles to adjust its minimum and maximum values instantly.

Using the range filter

On the range filter, you also view a histogram, where the total number of nodes within a given value is represented as a bar. It simply shows how many nodes are there for that value you’re viewing. Additionally, you can drag the window to filter the graph according to the minimum and maximum values of the corresponding nodes.

Furthermore, you can expand the range filter to full browser width, so you have a better range resolution, and comfortably explore the graph within various ranges.

Expanded range filter applied to Penal Systems Network

A useful way of investigating network trends is to iterate on a range of values step by step. On the expanded range filter, double-click on a bar. The window will snap to the bar and set the range to the corresponding value. Then, use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard to skip to adjacent values and observe how your graph changes.

Range filter as a timeline

The expanded range filter acts as a timeline when you have date time values in your data. This is particularly useful to observe a network’s evolution. The network map below, created by SALT, shows Turkey’s participation in international art biennials from 1955 to 2016. Artists and curators are connected to biennial editions that they have participated in different years. Every biennial node has a “year” property that we can use to create a range filter. Then, you can explore the changes in the 60 years of art biennial participation.

We hope that you will spend some time browsing, filtering, and analyzing graphs and creating new ones on Graph Commons. Feel free to share anything you create or find.

We welcome feedback on your experience. Join our Slack chat channel to share and discuss your graphs. You can always email us for your questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.